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THE SOCIALIZED 
RECITATION 



A STUDY IN METHOD WITH 
STENOGRAPHIC REPORTS 
OF ACTUAL RECITATIONS 



BY LOUISE C. RUSCH 



THE PLYMOUTH PRESS 

6749-51 WENTWORTH AVENUE. CHICAGO 



THE SOCIALIZED 
RECITATION 



A STUDY IN METHOD WITH 
STENOGRAPHIC REPORTS 
OF ACTUAL RECITATIONS 



BY LOUISE C. RUSCH 
•I 



THE PLYMOUTH PRESS 

6749-51 WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO 



1?« 



COPYRIGHT, 192i 
THE PLYMOUTH PRESS 



W28'2. 



CU628923 









THE SOCIALIZED RECITATION 



INTRODUCTION 

These pages present a method and plan for the use of 
the socialized recitation as developed in one elementary 
school, and adopted by many teachers elsewhere with great 
success. This contribution to the subject is addressed to 
teachers who are seeking a way to bring about or foster 
in their classes the initiative and independence that modern 
education demands. It is a small attempt toward making 
the schools safe for democracy. 

Now, the vital thing about socialized or democratized 
class-work is not at all the form of procedure, but the 
spirit and attitude of the pupils. The form in which the 
class carries on its work may vary infinitely, and yet the 
interchange and crystallization of ideas, the discussion and 
planning, and all the give-and-take of group life can not 
go on at random. Just in proportion to the energy and 
complexity of the initiative is the need for orderly pro- 
cedure. Form, restraint and control, if they come from 
within, do not hamper initiative, but heighten it, and give 
it range and scope. In a well-organized parliamentary 
body, for example, each member has a chance to make 
himself heard and to influence events in proportion to his 
ability, while in the formless mob the individual is sub- 
merged and genuine initiative lost. 

But this very necessity for form and method makes it 
hard to describe the procedure without so fixing attention 
on it that the more precious thing, the spirit of it, slips 
out between the words. This is why it seemed that next 
to actually showing the children at work, and far better 
than merely describing the procedure, would be the pre- 
sentation of a faithful stenographic report of some actual 



lessons. Yet even here, allowance must be made for the 
fact that the life of the discussion has escaped, and we are 
left with the mere dead form of it, the things that were 
said. Anyone who has heard crisp public discussion or 
the dramatic examination of a witness, or who has been 
touched by the sparkle and speed of a debate, knows how 
little of the real thrill of it all survives in the cold type of 
the official report. The thing itself may have an absorbing 
interplay of human forces that seemed like a game, or a 
drama; but the report may read like a string of common- 
places. So, in the report of a recitation we miss the alert 
faces of the pupils following every turn of the discussion, 
their rising in twos or dozens eager to speak, the nod of 
recognition to designate the next speaker, the quick inter- 
play of question and answer, the correction or explanation, 
and through it all the swift, vital motion that keeps initia- 
tive in play and expectancy tense. It is like a canoe 
dancing along in a rapid stream, sometimes sweeping for- 
ward with the main current, sometimes swirling in an eddy, 
but never at rest. And there is for the voyagers the same 
fascination. No one knows from moment to moment what 
the next turn will bring, or what rocks lie near the prow. 
And just here the joy of it all comes in: they themselves 
wield the paddles, and steer the course. 

Of course, in presenting such a stenographic report of 
a recitation the risks are evident. It is so pathetically vul- 
nerable! It is so easy to point out faults of organization 
or emphasis, crudities, omissions. Did not this pupil over- 
look an opportunity, and was not that pupil's question 
irrelevant? But who of us, unless we are trained speakers, 
but would shrink a little from having our workaday lan- 
guage, even when conversing effectively, put in type 
unamended, to be read in a spirit of cold criticism? And 
how would a teacher-dominated recitation show up under 
the same acid test? 

The lessons here presented were absolutely unrehearsed, 
and no errors have been corrected in the report. The 
subject matter had never before been presented in the 
class-room, but is given for the first time in the contribu- 
tions of the various pupils. That they had already done 
much toward eradicating common errors of speech ought 
to be evident, but how much had been accomplished could 
be known only to one who had seen these pupils develop. 



Nearly every pupil took part, and the few remaining ones 
would have taken part, but did not happen to be called on. 
No one spoke because he was designated to take part, but 
only when he wished to speak and had something to say. 

So it was judged best to give the entire recitations, 
faults and all, not as models of form, but as concrete illus- 
trations in which it is hoped the reader can catch something 
of the life and movement. And the publication of such 
matter is much needed for the study of the technique of 
the recitation. A method that actually worked is outlined 
here. There is in it nothing sacred, and it has been modi- 
fied from week to week as need was seen for change, but 
its features are the outgrowth of class-room experiment 
extending over at least three years. But the hope is rather 
that these pages will carry over to the reader those deeper 
things that underlie the method, the initiative, the free 
play of ideas, sometimes the smiling retort, the continual 
striving for clear expression, the motivated English, the 
group control of discussion, the spirit and life so hard to 
seize but so easy to recognize, and that subtle something 
that tingles in the atmosphere like an electric charge. It 
is believed that one who sees such work going on will not 
think this an overstatement. 

This subtle element in the psychological attitude makes 
all the difference between life and lethargy in education. 
The tiny farm urchin who is for the first time allowed to 
drive the horses, gets joy out of it for the moment even 
with his father's hands closed firmly over his to steady 
them. But when his father so far trusts him as to remove 
his big hands and leave the reins in the little fists, then 
what a greater responsibility thrills him! And it may be 
many a year before that new joy palls, if it ever does. In 
the socialized recitation, the teacher takes her hands from 
the reins and lets the pupils get the joy of driving. 

Everyone must have experienced the pleasure of par- 
ticipating in the conversation of a group of congenial 
friends, whose polarities are so balanced that each bears 
his part. Remark and allusion, question and answer, illus- 
tration and anecdote, follow in rapid succession, — a game 
of touch-and-go that rises from the deal level of casual 
conversation to a high plane of alert, exhilarating life. 
Each speaker shows gleams of wit and wisdom that sur- 
prise even himself, for his mind seems gifted with a keener 



vision, and acts with unaccustomed ease and zest. Under 
the right social stimulus, it springs to a higher level of 
power, as a current of electricity is lifted from a lower to 
a higher potential by a step-up transformer. Things flat 
and dull before glow now with living interest, and unex- 
pected influences show clear and vivid. Have we not 
described one of the finest joys of life? 

But have we not described, too, what is precisely the 
ideal class-room atmosphere, could we but achieve it, and 
have we not come face to face with a tremendously fruitful 
and significant fact of social psychology which has been 
ignored by the individual psychology still too dominant in 
education? 

Before leaving our illustration we may learn another 
lesson from it. Let us suppose ourselves in the happy 
circle we have pictured, with its rare and stimulating 
atmosphere which seems to lift us out of our duller selves 
and endow us with higher capacities. Some valued friend 
of wide experience and positive personality joins the party. 
He enters the discussion; he settles our problems for us 
with a word; his matured judgment speaks with finality. 
Instinctively we slide back to the old level, and the game 
is over. On many another occasion, perhaps, he has 
inspired us to better striving, brought a light to our per- 
plexities, or lent us a strong hand in time of need, and we 
are not without appreciation. But this was our game, and 
he overmatched us and ended the fun. Just so there are 
times when the teacher is most helpful when least helpful, 
and does most for her pupils when she does nothing. 

James E. McDade.. 



THE METHOD 



A good way to begin the preparation for a socialized 
recitation, is to announce to the class the subject to be 
discussed, allow them a study period of about thirty min- 
utes, and assist them in gathering all the information 
regarding that subject from the books available in the 
school. Though this method of reciting may be used in 
every branch, the best results are obtained in the beginning 
in the study of geography. The subject given out may be 
a city, a country, or, better still, an article of commerce, 
which will bring out the place geography, climatic condi- 
tions, rivers, harbors and industries of the country pro- 
ducing it. 

The results of the first lesson may be somewhat dis- 
couraging, the knowledge obtained from the books being 
meagre, and the children easily satisfied. They have been 
accustomed to have the teacher approve or disapprove, to 
make corrections, or to help them do their work. But 
things will take a different aspect when the teacher steps 
into the background and throws the whole responsibility 
upon the class. 

A chairman is appointed to take charge of the lesson, 
and he calls upon a pupil to speak. The speaker is ex- 
pected to come forward, face the class and tell all he 
knows about the subject. When he has finished, he an- 
nounces that he is ready for questions, and the children 
who wish to elicit additional information rise. He calls on 
one of them, who propounds a question, which the speaker 
tries but often fails to answer. If the speaker fails, only 
those who can answer remain standing, and one of these is 
called on. No one is permitted to ask a question which he 
is unable to answer himself, except at the end of the 
recitation, when the children may ask for information. 
Then additions may be made, supplementing what has 
already been told. Unanswered questions will form the 



subject for the next lesson, and now the research work 
begins. Pupils are no longer satisfied with the material on 
hand, but will look for more at home or in the library, 
for at the end of the lesson the pupils who have taken part 
in the discussion are asked to stand, and no one considers 
it an honor to keep his seat. 

After one or two lessons, the subject matter is organ- 
ized, with the help of the children, into topics, which are 
then assigned to the individual pupils. It is best to choose 
the slower pupils who are generally so willing to let others 
do the talking, for after they have said all they can, there 
is plenty of work left for the others. If the bright pupils 
were given an opportunity to speak first, the weaker ones 
would never get a chance to say anything. Every speaker 
is spurred to do his best, and is anxious to have the appro- 
bation of his classmates, even if he never cared for his 
teacher's opinion. 

Too long a discussion of one subject is apt to become 
tiresome, so questions which cannot be settled within a 
limited time may be postponed until the next lesson. Each 
child gets a chance to speak as well as take the chairman- 
ship rather often, especially when this method is followed 
in the geography, history, English and arithmetic lessons. 

The pupils are encouraged to criticize freely, but they 
must speak politely, and not until called upon by one of 
the speakers or the chairman. Too much fault finding 
gets monotonous, so the children are often asked to dis- 
cover only the good things about the recitation. This will 
benefit both speaker and listener. The pupils will listen 
more attentively, and the speaker will take greater pains 
in preparing his work. 

Daily marking is impossible, but what the class has 
accomplished can be tested from time to time by a written 
examination, consisting of questions which can be answered 
by a single word. 

Louise C. Rusch. 



REPORTS OF LESSONS 



These lessons, as already explained, are not presented 
as models, but as illustrations. It is believed that teachers 
will be more interested in a brief moving-picture of the 
actual struggles of a group of pupils toward self-mastery 
and the control of the complex machinery of group delib- 
eration than in any carefully-planned picture of ideal 
results, with every difficulty overcome, and every line and 
color harmonious. Viewed from this standpoint, abrupt 
turns, and failures in perspective or logical sequence will 
appear as the inevitable accompaniments of the meeting 
and conflict of many currents of thought and interest. In 
fact, one sees that it is only through the pupils themselves 
becoming conscious of such failures that there can ever 
emerge the restraint and control necessary to avoid them. 

Even if merely "getting the lesson" (or memorizing 
certain facts) is held to be the end and aim, it is believed 
that pupils who recite in this way will carry away vastly 
more information; but if the facts are of far less conse- 
quence than the development of force and facility in social 
action, then they are acquiring something of much greater 
moment. It is of less value to learn to know than to learn 
to use knowledge; less important to acquire information 
than to become swift and effective thinkers and free and 
efficient personalities. 

It is believed that the reader will not grieve too deeply 
over the absence from the picture of that familiar fore- 
ground figure, the anxious teacher, prodding the reluctant 
class, re-wording all they say and ruthlessly limiting their 
opportunities for speech by the sheer volume of comment 
and explanation, distributing approval and disapproval 
unconsciously even when she fondly imagines that she is 
holding herself non-committal as a sphinx, and at every 
well-intentioned step misguidedly guiding the class, lest 
they themselves should ever learn how. If through the 



only semi-transparent medium of such a report there 
glows some faint glimmer of a moving interest, some dim 
reflection of initiative and of a propulsive force carrying 
the class forward, then, perhaps, many technical short- 
comings may be condoned. 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS— FIRST LESSON 

(8th Grade, Louise C. Rusch, Teacher; Mildred I. Olson, Stenographer) 

Chairman — Harry 
Speaker — Melvin 

Chairman. Melvin will speak on the Samoan Islands. 

Speaker. Another name for the Samoan Islands are the 
Navigator Islands. They were first found in 1721, first 
discovered — 

Leon. You made an English mistake. You must use a 
singular verb with a singular subject. 

Speaker. What was it? 

Leon. "Another name" is your subject; you must use a 
singular verb because "name" is a singular subject. 

Speaker. Another name for the Samoan Islands is the 
Navigator Islands. They were first discovered in 1721 and 
were named in 1768 by Bougainville, a Frenchman. They 
are located between 13 degrees 25 minutes and 14 degrees 
30 minutes south latitude, and between 168 degrees and 173 
degrees west longitude. There are fourteen islands in all, 
of which Savaii is the largest, 660 square miles. Some of 
the others are Upolu and Tutuila. They are located 4200 
miles southwest of San Francisco and 400 miles northeast 
of the Fiji Islands. Pago-Pago is the best harbor, and it 
is situated on the island of Tutuila. The population is 
38,000, and the people are mostly of the brown race. The 
chief export is copra, which is used in the manufacturing 
of soap. Other exports are cacao, coffee and cotton. 

Kenneth. You pronounced that ca-cah-o; it should be 
pronounced ca-cay-o. 

Speaker. In 1894 a great Scotch poet, Robert Louis 
Stevenson, died there. Mua, the highest mountain, is 5,400 

10 



feet high. Ready for questions. 

Rose. What is the chief city of the Samoan Islands? 

Speaker. Apia. 

Rose. Can you point it out on the map? 

Speaker. Yes. (Points it out on the map.) 

Glenn. Whom were the Samoan Islands surveyed by? 

Chairman. You had better put that in the additions. 

Glenn. John — 

Chairman. Put that in additions. 

Glenn. How many square miles is Tutuila? 

Speaker. Fifty-four square miles. 

Frederick. What are two other large cities? 

Speaker. Pago-Pago and — I don't know the other one. 

Norman. Ana. 

Richard. Tell something about copra. 

Speaker. Copra is the dry meat of the cocoanut. The 
husks of the cocoanut are removed and the copra is put in 
the sun to dry. Four thousand to seven thousand nuts are 
needed to make one ton of copra, and about thirty nuts are 
needed for one gallon of oil. 

Henry F. The husks of the cocoanuts are used in place 
of hemp, and for paper, brooms and mats. 

John F. When was Stevenson born? 

Speaker. I don't know. 

John F. I mean when did he go to the Samoan Islands? 

Speaker. In 1889. 

Chairman. There are some people still standing. Call 
on them for Stevenson. 

Harold. Name a book he wrote. 

Verna. Treasure Island and — 

Harold. Only one book was asked for. 

Chairman. Call on others. 

Leon. When was he born and when did he die? 

Ethel. 1889-1894. 

Chairman. No, that was the group of years he spent 
on the islands. He died in 1894. 

Richard. He was born in 1850 in Edinburgh. 

Rose. When did he die? 

Chairman. That was told. 

Leon. In what month? 

Speaker. He died December 4, 1894. 

John F. How many miles are the islands from San 
Francisco? 

11 



Speaker. I told that. 

Edna. What is the government of the islands? 

Chairman. Please put that in the additions. 

Frances. Name some of the important industries. 

Speaker. The most important industries are sugar-cane 
and cotton raising. 

Richard. And copra. 

Frances. And the manufacturing of tapa, the native 
cloth. 

Chairman. What are the people called who work on 
the sugar plantations? 

Marvin. Kanakas, from the Hawaiian Islands. 

John F. What is the area of these islands? 

Speaker. Seventeen hundred square miles. 

Verna. Can you draw a diagram of the islands? 

Speaker. Yes. (Draws a diagram on the board.) 

Verna. Which is which? 

Edna. This is Savaii, this is Upolu, this is Tutuila, 
this is Rose and this is Manua. 

Chairman. You pronounced that Maunua; it should be 
pronounced Manua. You have Tutuila larger than Upolu. 
Upolu should be the larger. 

Margaret C. Can you name some important trees? 

Speaker. The banana tree is the most important, and 
the bread fruit. The lumber of the bread fruit tree is used 
in building the houses. 

Beatrice. When and by whom was Christianity first 
brought to the islands? 

William. In 1830, by John Williams. 

Kenneth. What is the population of Tutuila? 

Leon. Four thousand. 

Frederick. What is the best harbor of the island? 

Speaker. Pago-Pago, on the island on Tutuila. 

Richard. What islands belong to the United States? 

Speaker. Tutuila, Manua and Rose. 

Chairman. Rose is one of the Manua group. 

Laddy. Which line divides the American islands from 
the German islands? 

Richard. 170 degrees west longitude. 

John K. No. 171 degrees west longitude. 

Lucille. What does the shape of these islands re- 
semble? 

Gladys. A great green sombrero. 

12 



Edna. What does sombrero mean? 

Gladys. A hat. 

Chairman. You did not answer Edna's question. 

Gladys. I said a hat. 

Chairman. I did not hear you before. 

Kenneth. What nationality of people mostly wear the 
sombrero hats? 

Gladys. I do not know, but I think the people of west- 
ern United States. 

Lucille. Not as much as the Mexicans. 

Leon. Did you ever see a Mexican hat? 

Gladys. I do not know. 

Chairman. Do not guess. Don't say a thing unless you 
know. 

Gordon. It is made of felt. 

Leon. No, it is made of straw. 

Celia. What nation owns Savaii? 

Speaker. Germany. 

Chairman. Formerly owned by Germany. 

Lucille. It is owned by Great Britain now. 

Helen C What countries does Samoa mostly trade 
with? 

Speaker. I said that. 

Helen C. Not all of them. 

Speaker. United States and Germany. 

Harold. Australian colonies. 

Henry S. Great Britain. 

Chairman. Before 1899 Upolu and Savaii were owned 
by Great Britain, and Germany owned Apolima and a few 
other small islands. 

Norman. Talk on limes. 

Speaker. They are a yellow fruit and very sour. 

Chairman. Talk louder, please. I do not think limes 
should be mentioned here. 

Speaker. Ready for additions. 

Norman. Limes belong to the family of orange limes 
and shaddocks. In southern Europe they raise very sweet 
ones, but in other places they are sour. There are thirty 
different kinds. Fine lemons are grown in Florida and 
California. They are also found growing wild in South- 
ern Asia. 

Speaker. I want to ask a question. What is another 
fruit that they export? 

13 



Richard. Oranges and bananas. 

Chairman. Some one wants to ask a question on limes. 

Leon. What are they used for? 

Norman. They are used in making a cooling drink, in 
making candy, and they are also used as a medicine in 
cases of fever. 

Leon. Name a certain drink that they are used for? 

Harold. Green River. 

Richard. The annual rainfall of Tutuila is 180 inches. 

Chairman. Speak louder, please. 

Gordon. The peaks of the submerged mountains in 
some prehistoric period rose, and there have been some vol- 
canic eruptions, so the islands are very hard of access. 

Laddy. There are fifteen steamship lines going to these 
islands. One to Pago-Pago, the Honolulu-Pago-Pago Line. 
All the others go to Apia. I just know a few of them, the 
San Francisco-Apia Line, the Sidney-Apia Line, the Guam- 
Apia Line. 

Richard. And the Wellington-Apia Line and the Hono- 
lulu-Apia Line. 

Laddy. I think you are wrong about the Honolulu-Apia 
Line. 

Richard. No. 

Chairman. Show your proof. (Boys went to the map.) 

Chairman. Are you convinced now? 

Laddy. No, Richard is. 
the line of 171 degrees west longitude, the United States 

John K. In 1889 Great Britain, Germany and the 
United States agreed by treaty to separate the group along 
taking the islands on the east and Germany on the west, the 
United States to get Tutuila and Manu. Tulafale is their 
executive officer. 

Gladys. I want to make a correction. It should be pro- 
nounced executive. 

John K. Below him and above the lowest class is the 
common class, which consists mostly of the native teachers 
and the catechists. They wear more clothes and do less 
fighting than the rest of the population. There is nothing 
in their dress that enables a foreigner to distinguish them 
from the rest of the population. There is a special vocabu- 
lary set aside which they use in his presence, and they 
cannot open an umbrella in his presence. 

Chairman. What are these people called? 

14 



Margaret C. Commodore Wilkes — 

Speaker. You did not answer the chairman's question. 

Harold. Catechists. 

Chairman. That will be a subject for tomorrow. 

Margaret C. Commodore Wilkes first surveyed the 
islands in 1839. 

Margaret N. The people are clearly related to the 
people of Hawaii and New Zealand. 

Speaker. What kind of people are they? 

Edna. Polynesians. 

Laddy. From what race? 

Margaret N. Polynesian race. 

Harold. Malayan race. 

William. In 1881 there were 1,800 laborers employed on 
the plantations, as the natives are too independent to work 
for men of their own nationality. 

Harold. How many Europeans? 

Leon. What kind of Europeans? 

Harold. Just Europeans. 

Glenn. One thousand. 

Julia. The houses are oval in shape and a thatch of 
sugar cane or palm leaves protects the inhabitants from 
rain. 

Speaker. What are they mostly made of? 

Anna. Of wood from the bread fruit trees. 

Lucille. The climate is very healthful, excepting dur- 
ing the month of December, when the temperature is 80 
degrees. 

Eleanor. Sugar is one of the leading exports of the 
islands. The cane is cut down and is sent to the mills, 
where it goes through large rollers. The juice is pressed 
out and is put into large tanks in which it is boiled. Sugar 
goes into many of these tanks and lime is added to take out 
the impurities, and it soon crystallizes. Brown sugar is 
then left and a dark brown molasses. 

Harold. What are some of the islands noted for as re- 
gards the climate? 

Leon. Health resorts. 

Harold. Yes, and severe hurricanes. What city is 
noted for hurricanes? 

Leon. Apia. 

Helen T. Upolu is 340 square miles in area, and 
Manua is 20 square miles. 

15 



Chairman. For tomorrow look up the following sub- 
jects: Christianity, sombrero, and there was another word 
that I did not get. 

John K. Catechists. 

Teacher. You are not quite sure about the biography 
of Robert Louis Stevenson. Include that in tomorrow's 
lesson. 



THE SAMOAN ISLANDS— SECOND LESSON 

Chairman — Leon 

Chairman. Is there anything left over from the last 
lesson? 

Eleanor. John mentioned "Tulafale." What does that 
mean? 

John K. Tulafale or talking man is the executive officer 
who phrases their thoughts into eloquent language, and is 
frequently the central figure in the district and the source 
of authority. 

Harold. John also mentioned catechists. 

John K. A catechist is one who learns by questions 
and answers in religious matters. 

Rose. Lucille, what is a sombrero? 

Lucille. A sombrero is a hat made of straw or pan- 
ama. 

Rose. Can you describe it? 

Lucille. It is a large hat going to a point at the top. 

William. They have a large brim. 

Harold. What is a sombrero made of? 

William. I don't know. 

Gordon. Mostly of felt. 

Gladys. In what way do the Samoan Islands resemble 
a sombrero? 

Lucille. The central elevation is like the crown and the 
coast like the brim. 

Eleanor. Lucille said a sombrero was made of straw 
or panama. Is that necessary? Can it be made of any- 
thing else? Is it especially Mexican? 

Gordon. No, but Mexicans use it mostly. 

Eleanor. A sombrero is any kind of a hat. 

16 



Gordon. Do you call your hat a sombrero? 

Teacher. No, not unless you speak Spanish, but in the 
Spanish language any hat is a sombrero. 

Chairman. Ready for Stevenson. 

Harry. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh 
in 1850. He died in 1894. His father and grandfather were 
both great engineers. He studied law and graduated from 
the University of Edinburgh. He made a number of trips 
around Europe and then came to the United States. When 
he first came here his home was in the Adirondack Moun- 
tains and then he went to California. He became ill and 
his doctor advised him to go to the Samoan Islands. In 
1889 he went to the islands, and five years later he died 
there. He wrote "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Kidnapped," 
"David Balfour," "Treasure Island" and "The Master of 
Ballantrae." 

Leon. In 1885 he wrote "A Child's Garden of Verses." 

Henry S. What city did he die in? 

Harry. In Apia, on the island of Upolu. 

Lillian. What was his best book? 

Harry. People say that "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was 
his best book, but Stevenson thought that "Kidnapped" was 
his best. 

Harold. Some people say that his best book was one 
that he never finished, "Weir of Hermiston." 

Harry. That was not mentioned in my book. I was 
talking about the books he finished. 

Richard. What kind of engineers was his father and 
grandfather? 

Kenneth. You made a mistake in English. You must 
use a plural verb with a plural subject. 

Chairman. Does anyone know? 

Richard. Lighthouse engineers. 

Harry. Name some other books that Stevenson wrote. 

Harold. "Black Arrow," "The Master of Ballantrae," 
"Prince Otto" and "Underwoods." 

Chairman. How many lighthouses did his grandfather 
build? 

Harry. About eighteen. 

Melvin. What state are the Adirondacks in? 

Harry. In New York. 

Kenneth. Stevenson made several walking trips through 
Europe. 

17 



Norman. What did the natives call him? 

Norman. "The Great Story Teller." 

Harold. Another book that he wrote was "Merry Men 
and Other Tales." 

Marvin. What main light-house did he build? 

Harry. Bell Rock. 

Teacher. Is there anything else you wish to add? 

Lucille. The highest volcano rises 2,499 feet. 

Harry. Apia is the most important city of Upolu and 
is on the northern coast. Falealili is a city on the southern 
coast and carries on most of the commerce on the southern 
coast. 

John K. Who owns Apia? 

Harry. Now it is owned by England, formerly owned 
by Germany. 

Laddy. How many steamships go to Apia? 

Harry. Fifteen. 

Laddy. No, fourteen. 

Eleanor. Are these islands — 

Chairman. Did Harry call on you? 

Eleanor. No. 

Chairman. You must wait for him to call on you. 

Harry. Eleanor. 

Eleanor. Does England govern these islands directly or 
indirectly? 

Harry. Indirectly. New Zealand rules the islands. 

Gordon. People like "Kidnapped" best. 

Chairman. No, people like "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 
best. 

Harry. We heard that before. 

Kenneth. The Samoan Islands are surrounded by low 
sand banks, though these are invisible. 

Chairman. I would like to add something. As late as 
1840 all the prominent men of the senate laughed at the 
idea that the western coast would ever be of any value, but 
the western coast grew. 

Harry. Did the coast grow? 

Chairman. It grew in importance. In 1848 gold was 
discovered. 

Harry. What has that to do with this topic? 

Chairman. It tells how and why the Samoan Islands 
are important as a coaling station. In 1897 gold was dis- 
covered in Alaska and in 1894 the Chinese-Russian War 

18 



was raging, and in 1896 Japan opened its harbors to other 
countries. There were two routes of the Pacific. If a 
steamer should sail straight from Puget Sound to Yoko- 
hama or other Japanese ports it would be wrecked on the 
rocks of the Aleutian Islands, which shows that Alaska's 
Islands are farther down than Puget Sound. Now all boats 
leaving San Francisco go south to the Hawaiian Islands or 
to the Samoan Islands. This brought about the United 
States making the Samoan Islands a coaling station and 
accounts for its growth and importance. 



REFERENCE BOOKS 



After the lesson the pupils were asked to report the 
reference books they used in preparing it. The list is given 
as showing the kind of books actually used, which were 
simply those that happened to be available. It is not at all 
intended to submit it as an ideal or even satisfactory list, 
but it is a genuine one: 

1. Geography. — Tarr & McMurry. 

2. The Standard Reference Book. 

3. Cyclopedia of Persons and Places. — Champlin. 

4. Lippincott's Gazetteer. 

5. Advanced Geography. — Dodge. 

6. Geographic News Bulletin. 

7. Chart of the World.— Rand McNally & Co. 

8. Elementary Commercial Geography. — Adams. 

9. Advanced Commercial Geography. — Adams. 
10. Geography. — Brigham & McFarlane. 

fll. Commercial Geography. — Smith. 

12. Students' Reference Book. 

13. Cyclopedia of Common Things. — Champlin. 

14. The Cabinet Cyclopedia. 

fl5. Modern Geography. — Salisbury, Barrows & Towers. 
*16. World Almanac. 

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fl7. People's Encyclopedia. 

18. Home and School Reference Book. 

*19. The New Practical Reference Book. 

20. Economic Geography. — Dryer. 

*21. Harper's Book of Facts. 

f22. The American Cyclopedia. 

Books marked (*) were obtained from the public library, 
those marked (f) were private property of pupils, and the 
remainder were books furnished by the school. 



20 



QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIONS 



As so many of the difficulties incident to inaugurating 
socialized recitations arise in the form of questions, it has 
seemed well to deal with some of those most commonly- 
asked. 

Is it desirable to have all lessons in any subject the 
socialized form? 

As the pupils increase in power, a greater and greater 
proportion can be so conducted. 

What chance does the teacher have to develop difficult 
problems, and to inspire pupils directly? 

When the pupils have done what they can, the teacher's 
opportunity comes to supplement, correct, and inspire. The 
interest is already keen, and she has only to take advantage 
of it. 

Does it not develop a few in the class at the expense of 
the slower ones? 

It gives range to the ablest, and keeps his interest from 
flagging; and yet even the slowest can find his oppor- 
tunity. The traditional recitation gave an equal task to all; 
the give-and-take of a socialized recitation is so complex 
that each can find full play for whatever ability he has. 

Does not this kind of recitation furnish a loop-hole for 
the indolent to escape work? 

The interest is so keen that they find it more attractive 
to participate than to remain seated. Perhaps two or three 
in an average recitation may not take part, oftenest because 
they had no opportunity. 

How can the bright pupils be kept from doing all the 
talking? 

They must wait until they are called on, and no one 
should be called on a second time while others are waiting 
to be heard. 

What is the relation of the socialized recitation to the 
problem-project method? 

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Social life of any sort can not avoid problems, so this 
method develops its own from moment to moment, and from 
day to day, and they are genuine problems, not artificial 
ones. Consequently, there is no need to work up interest in 
them. It is rather the interest that creates the problems, 
as living interest always does. 

Does not this kind of work get tiresome? 

Properly conducted, it becomes continually more fascin- 
ating, even to the teacher. No one knows from one moment 
to the next what turn the discussion is going to take, and 
new things are arising continually. The teacher's influence 
will be exerted frankly but tactfully to guide the discus- 
sions away from trivialities and into the fruitful phases 
of the subject. 

How can the pupil's work be graded? 

The teacher is free to observe and record, if she desires, 
just how often and what manner each pupil responds. A 
dictated test requiring one-word replies may be used, or any 
method the teacher finds effective. 

What should the teacher do if the children make erron- 
eous statements or come to ivrong conclusions? 

Wait until the end of the recitation, then make the cor- 
rection, or lead the pupils to make it. 

7s it desirable for pupils to consult many different ref- 
erence books? 

Yes. It leads to familiarity with reference books, and 
insures live and valuable discussions. 

Will the method succeed if all the pupils get their mate- 
rial from the same text-book? 

No. There is not enough room for discussion to make 
it worth while. 

7s it tvell to make an outline in advance for the class to 
follow, or else give them a number of questions to be 
answered ? 

Such helps in preparing a subject may be needed by 
beginners, but in upper grades pupils should be able to 
make their own outlines and formulate their own questions. 
They soon come to understand that some fundamental ques- 
tions are always of service. When studying a country, "Of 
what use is that country and its products to us?" will bring 

22 



out the most important matters. When studying an article 
of commerce, the question, "What are the climatic condi- 
tions required to produce it?" will lead to the essential 
information. The biography of any noted person will follow 
from the question, "What has he done for the world, and 
how did he come to do it?" 

In what ways may the teacher assist the class during 
the period of supervised study? 

She may suggest sources of information, and give the 
children all the help they ask for, but on condition that 
they have first done all they can without her. She may 
interpret for them a sentence or a paragraph too difficult 
for them to understand, or else direct them to the proper 
reference book. Teaching pupils to study is of first im- 
portance. There is no success possible without it. 

Does the speaker know in advance that he is to lead? 

Not usually in the upper grades, for all should be pre- 
pared. Each has his turn, but does not know which day he 
will be called on. 

To whom do pupils address their remarks when they 
speak? 

To the chairman, the speaker, or to each other, as occa- 
sion demands, never to the teacher, unless formally to ad- 
dress to her some special question on a matter they feel 
unable to deal with. 

In what part of the room should the teacher be while the 
socialized recitation is going on? 

Anywhere except in the front of the room, where the 
pupils will unconsciously watch for her approval or dis- 
approval, precisely the state of affairs we wish to avoid. 
This matter is much more important than it seems, so 
keenly sensitive is the pupil to the subtle effects of sug- 
gestion. 

Who indicates the pupil who is to answer a question? 

Usually the one who asks it. It may be understood in 
the class that preference is always to be given to those 
who have talked least in the recitation. 

Should a pupil ask a question he can answer himself? 

In the method here followed, he may ask such questions 
in the first part of the recitation, supplying the information 

28 



if no one else can answer. 

Should a pupil ask a question he cannot answer himself? 

Yes, at the end of the recitation, if he really wants the 
information. If then unanswered, and judged sufficiently 
important, the question may be noted as a matter to be 
taken up for the next recitation. 

Should a pupil correcting errors interrupt the pupil 
speaking, or wait until he has finished? 

Errors of fact should be corrected after a pupil has 
finished, but errors in English at once. 

Why correct English errors at once? 

Because correct English is a habit. "Never suffer an 
exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in 
your life." (James.) The socialized recitation will posi- 
tively root out incorrect English, because it leads the pupils 
to talk freely and forces them to talk correctly. 



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